Micropollutants are large families of molecules, such as pesticides or pharmaceutical residues, that emerged about fifty years ago, present in very low concentrations in water bodies, at a level of one nanogram per liter, which is equivalent to a sugar cube in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Nevertheless, they exhibit toxicities and are found absolutely everywhere in our watercourses and the water bodies used for our drinking water.
Ecométrique has launched a small device submerged in water bodies for 15 days, which will accumulate information that will then be analyzed. This extended period allows for a much more representative picture of water quality than instantaneous sampling.
The startup thus presents a research approach aimed at understanding the dynamics of pollutants at the scale of its partners (mostly local authorities but also private companies managing water issues) to help them build a strategy and concrete actions. “We provide assistance on micropollutants and not routine studies for legislative purposes,” concludes Matthias Monneron.
